[Infowarrior] - Obama to create cyber czar in awareness effort

Thu May 28 19:58:39 UTC 2009

Obama to create cyber czar in awareness effort
By LOLITA C. BALDOR , 05.28.09, 03:41 PM EDT
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/05/28/ap6477154.html

The Obama administration is creating a "cyber czar" within the White  
House to coordinate the nation's computer security. Critics already  
say the post will not have enough authority to haul the government  
into the digital age.

Government and private industry need to better protect the nation's  
computer networks, the White House warns in a plan to be rolled out  
Friday as the administration sets broad goals for dealing with cyber  
threats.

President Barack Obama is expected to say that cyber security is a top  
priority of the administration and to call for a new education  
campaign to raise public awareness of the challenges and threats cyber  
security involves.

Completed six weeks ago, the much-anticipated cyber report has been  
delayed because policymakers in and outside the White House have been  
at loggerheads over how much power and budget-making authority the new  
office will have.

According to officials familiar with the discussions, the cyber czar  
would be a special assistant to the president and would be supported  
by a new cyber directorate within the National Security Council. The  
cyber czar would also work with the National Economic Council, said  
the officials, who described the plan on condition of anonymity  
because it has not been publicly released.

The special assistant title is not as high in the White House  
hierarchy as some officials sought. It would not give the czar direct,  
unfettered access to the president. Instead, the official would report  
to senior NSC officials - a situation many say will make it difficult  
to make major changes within the calcified federal bureaucracy.

Government and military officials have acknowledged that U.S. computer  
networks are constantly assailed by attacks and scans, ranging from  
nuisance hacking to more nefarious probes and attacks. Some suggest  
that the actions at times are a form of cyber espionage from other  
nations, such as China.

Federal officials and corporate leaders familiar with the review say  
it will urge private industry to better protect networks against  
hackers and cyber criminals. The plan will call for accountability  
from both the government and industry in ensuring the security of the  
nation's networks.
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The study will depict the U.S. as a digital nation that needs to  
provide the education required to keep pace with technology, and  
attract and retain a cyber-savvy work force.

But the review does not explicitly dictate how the government or  
private industry should tighten digital defenses. Critics say the  
cyber czar will not have sufficient budgetary and policymaking  
authority over securing computer systems and spending.

Dale Meyerrose, a retired Air Force major general now vice president  
at Harris Corp. ( HRS - news - people ), said the administration needs  
to improve the ways government agencies use and secure their computer  
systems and how they spend their budgets.

The White House, Meyerrose said, needs "to empower this person to  
solve the problems." But, he added, "this is an initial step and to  
expect it to completely change how we run government is asking way too  
much."

Because of lingering uncertainty over the cyber czar's authority and  
presidential access, several contenders for the post took themselves  
out of the running, according to one former administration official.

But a handful of candidates were still being mentioned as late as this  
week. Obama, however, is not expected to announce who will get the job  
during Friday's unveiling of the review, according to an  
administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity because  
the selection process is ongoing.

Obama ordered a 60-day cyber review shortly after taking office, and  
the exhaustive study has been lauded by government officials and well  
as technology executives. The review was led by Melissa Hathaway, once  
an aide to President George W. Bush and appointed by Obama to fashion  
a broad policy for the computer systems that govern everything from  
power grids and airline traffic to military computers.

Corporate leaders who met with Hathaway praised her efforts to reach  
out to private industry. Franck Journoud, manager of information  
security policy for BSA, said the administration had a "healthy  
debate" over how to ensure cyber security without limiting innovation  
and economic development.

Others cautioned that expectations may have been set too high for the  
review's results.

Lawmakers are already taking steps to shape the government's cyber  
policies, and in some cases may call for stronger action that the  
president is expected to take.

Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, who chairs the  
Senate's commerce committee, has introduced legislation with Sen.  
Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, that would establish a national cybersecurity  
adviser office, led by someone who would report directly to the  
president.

U.S. cyber efforts have been plagued with turf battles and confusion  
over who controls the country's vast computer systems.

Earlier this year the head of the nation's cybersecurity center, Rod  
Beckstrom, resigned, bluntly complaining about a shortage of money for  
the center and a clash over whether the National Security Agency  
should control cyber efforts.

The role of the NSA - the agency oversees electronic intelligence- 
gathering - in protecting domestic computer networks has triggered  
debate, particularly among privacy and civil liberties groups who  
oppose giving such control to U.S. spy agencies.

Intelligence officials argue, however, that they must be involved in  
order to adequately defend the country and its networks.

Although Obama's new review put overall control and coordination of  
cyber at the White House, it reportedly does not get into the NSA  
debate.

Associated Press writer Ted Bridis contributed to this report.